Menopause supplement checker: "Ano supplement nyo?" answered honestly

"40s women, ano supplement nyo? Please include brands" is one of the busiest threads we found on r/kwarentahin (thread). Filipinas there list magnesium glycinate, evening primrose, soy isoflavones, ashwagandha, collagen and more, often bought from iHerb or Watsons. Those are real experiences, not evidence. You deserve to know what the research says before you spend thousands a month.

Each supplement gets one of these labels, for menopause symptoms specifically:

• Not recommended: a major guideline reviewed the evidence and advised against it for this use.
• Not enough evidence: too few good studies to say it works.
• Limited evidence: some small or mixed studies.
• Some evidence or strong evidence: reserved for options that earn it. No herbal product for hot flashes currently does.

Ratings come from The Menopause Society 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement where it covers the product (Contemporary OB/GYN summary). That statement did not recommend herbal remedies or soy products for hot flashes. For products it does not cover, we say "not enough evidence" unless a primary source shows otherwise.

• Soy isoflavones and soy extracts, including Femarelle (a soy extract): not recommended for hot flashes. Femarelle 56s: ₱2,000 per box of 56 (Watsons).
• Black cohosh, red clover, dong quai and multi-herb menopause blends: not recommended for hot flashes. LAC Women's Menopause Relief: ₱3,050 per bottle of 60 (LAC Philippines). Healthy Options Menopause Formula: ₱895 per bottle of 30 (Healthy Options). USANA PhytoEstrin: ₱2,200 per bottle of 90 (approx.) (Reseller listing) (an estimate from a secondary listing).
• Evening primrose oil: herbal, so not recommended for hot flashes. The Watsons listing itself carries "No Approved Therapeutic Claims" (Watsons). ₱36.50 per softgel (Watsons).
• Magnesium, ashwagandha, collagen, maca: not enough evidence for menopause symptoms. None is among the hot flash treatments The Menopause Society 2023 recommends, and that statement advises against supplements and herbal remedies for hot flashes in general.
• Calcium and vitamin D: not for hot flashes, but they matter for bones if your diet falls short. Caltrate Silver Advance Plus: ₱397.25 per bottle of 30 (Watsons). Check your food first with the calcium calculator.

Prices checked October 2026.

• Black cohosh has reports of liver problems; stop and see a doctor if you notice yellow skin or eyes or dark urine. European regulators issued this advice in 2006 after reviewing cases of liver harm (EMEA press release).
• Plant estrogens (soy, red clover) are a question to ask your doctor if you have had breast cancer.
• Any supplement plus prescription medicines: tell your doctor and pharmacist what you take, especially blood thinners, antidepressants or blood pressure medicines.
• "Natural" does not mean safe or effective. It only means it came from a plant.

If hot flashes are the main problem, the options with the best evidence are hormone therapy (HRT for menopause) and, without hormones, CBT, clinical hypnosis, certain SSRIs and SNRIs, gabapentin and weight loss (Menopause Society 2023). See non-hormonal treatments. For sleep, NICE 2024 found CBT can help (summary).

Some product names in the checker link to a retailer through our partner links. Links appear only with a clear evidence label beside them, and the rating never changes because of a link. See how we make money.